The College of Media invites applications for a tenure-track assistant professor position in Convergent Media, including the interaction between the old and new media systems and platforms. Successful candidates should demonstrate an innovative research and teaching agenda. Appointments will be made on a tenure-track, 9-month academic year basis in one of the College’s three departments -- Advertising, Journalism, or Media & Cinema Studies -- beginning August 16, 2018.

Academic scholars and journalism practitioners are encouraged to apply. Scholars must have a Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree. Journalism practitioners must have a master’s degree or equivalent. All candidates should possess the potential for high-quality research and teaching. The word “research” is interpreted to include not only traditional research and scholarship, but also to encompass journalism creative works and research that is inter-disciplinary and/or translational. Of particular interest are candidates open to mixed-methods research and willing to develop collaborations. Candidates with special interest in original research or creative works in one or more of the following areas will be given higher priority:

Social and new media use and effects, including impact on the First Amendment

The impact of social media and other technologies on the way journalists gather and distribute news and information

Participatory media, including “citizen journalism” and study of the application of First Amendment protections

Digital ethics, privacy, and policy

Media management and strategic audience engagement

Virtual/augmented reality and other new storytelling tools, including the ethics of AR/VR use

Audience engagement analytics and application

Computational media studies, including the use of artificial intelligence to communicate ideas and stories

Big data and society, including analyzing, visualizing, and telling stories with data

Online /contextual messaging and behavioral targeting

Accessibility studies in information communication technology

Gaming and digital narrative

Locative and mobile media mapping

Mobile and interactive design

Social and cultural dimensions of Natural Language Processing

Successful candidates will be expected to develop a strong research/creative works program with the potential to attract outside funding and to work collaboratively with faculty within the College of Media and across the campus. Teaching duties will include multimedia/convergent media courses and development of conceptual courses and graduate seminars in a variety of areas related to convergent and emerging media and their impact on society. An ability to advance the College’s commitment to diversity through research, teaching, and outreach is desired.

The College of Media’s faculty consists of internationally renowned social scientists, media professionals, and humanities scholars and serves 1,300 undergraduate and graduate students <http://media.illinois.edu/>. The College is also home to the interdisciplinary Institute of Communications Research and Illinois Public Media (WILL-AM-FM-TV-Online), the public broadcasting service of the University of Illinois.

The position will begin on August 16, 2018. Salary will be commensurate with experience. Candidates should create a candidate profile at <http://jobs.illinois.edu> and upload a cover letter explaining how the candidate’s academic training and background, including research, creative endeavors, teaching qualifications and/or professional experience, make the applicant suitable for the position; curriculum vitae and a list of full contact information for three references. All requested information must be submitted for an application to be considered complete. The University of Illinois conducts criminal background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer.

*Full consideration will be given to applications received by October 24, 2017.* Applicants may be interviewed before the closing date; however, no hiring decision will be made until after that date. The review will continue until the positions have been filled. For further information regarding application procedures, please contact Jane Dowler at dowler@illinois.edu or 217-333-2351.

The University of Illinois is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer. Minorities, women, veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information, visit <http://go.illinois.edu/EEO>. To learn more about the University’s commitment to diversity, please visit <http://www.inclusiveillinois.illinois.edu>.